History of orienteering

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The history of orienteering begins in the late 19th century in Sweden, where it originated as military training. Over the course of the late 19th and early 20th century, orienteering emerged first as a military competition in Nordic countries and then as a mass participation sport, before becoming a competitive sport with an international governing body.

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Military exercise

The actual term "orienteering" (Swedish: orientering) was first used in 1886 at the Swedish Military Academy Karlberg and meant the crossing of unknown land with the aid of a map and a compass. The competitive sport began when the first competition was held for Swedish military officers on 28 May 1893 at the yearly games of the Stockholm garrison. [1] The first civilian competition, in Norway on 31 October 1897, was sponsored by the Tjalve Sports Club and held near Oslo. The course was long by modern standards, at 19.5 km, on which only three controls were placed. The competition was won by Peder Fossum in a time of 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 7 seconds. The first public orienteering competition in Sweden was held in 1901. [2]

Orienteering as a mass participation sport

At the end of World War I the first large scale orienteering meet was organized in 1918 by Major Ernst Killander of Stockholm, Sweden. Then President of the Stockholm Amateur Athletic Association, Killander was a Scouting Movement leader who saw orienteering as an opportunity to interest youth in athletics. The meet was held south of Stockholm in 1919 and was attended by 220 athletes. [2] [3] Killander is credited with using the Swedish word orientering, from which the word orienteering is derived, in publicity materials for this meet. [4] Killander continued to develop the rules and principles of the sport, and today is widely regarded throughout Scandinavia as the "Father of Orienteering".

Protractor compass, first introduced in Sweden in 1933. Baseplatecompass.jpg
Protractor compass, first introduced in Sweden in 1933.

The sport gained popularity with the development of more reliable compasses in the 1930s. In 1928, Gunnar Tillander, a Swedish orienteer, invented a new style of bearing compass which allowed the user to quickly take bearings from a map. Tillander took his design to fellow orienteers Björn, Alvin, and Alvar Kjellström, who were selling basic compasses, and the four men modified Tillander's design and would go on to found Silva Sweden AB in 1932. [5] [6] [7] [8] In 1933, Silva introduced the protractor compass. Until the introduction of the thumb compass, the protractor compass would remain the state of the art in the sport.

The first international competition between orienteers of Sweden and Norway was held outside Oslo, Norway, in 1932. By 1934, over a quarter million Swedes were actively participating in the sport, and orienteering had spread to Finland, Switzerland, the Soviet Union and Hungary. The nations of Finland, Norway and Sweden all established national championships. [9] The Swedish national orienteering society, Svenska Orienteringsförbundet, the first national orienteering society, was founded in 1936. [10]

Spread beyond Europe after World War II

Following World War II, orienteering spread throughout Europe, and to North America, Oceania, and Asia. This spread was due in part to post-war travel by European orienteers, therefore more military people were using orienteering as part of a training method.

In North America, the first orienteering event took place in the United States, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in November 1941. It was organized by Piltti Heiskanen, a visiting teacher from Finland. Swedish orienteer and business man Björn Kjellström, who moved to the United States in 1946, had a major influence on the sport there. In 1967, Norwegian Harald Wibye founded the first U.S. orienteering club, the Delaware Valley Orienteering Association, which 30 years later was the largest orienteering club in the United States. [11] In 1971, a group of orienteers led by members of the then four-year-old Quantico Orienteering Club founded the United States Orienteering Federation. [11]

The Canadian Orienteering Federation was founded in 1967, and the first Canadian national orienteering championship was held at Gatineau Park in Ottawa on August 10, 1968. [12] The only World Championship to be held in North America took place at Harriman State Park, New York, USA, in 1993.

In Australia, the first orienteering event was held in 1955.[ citation needed ]

Establishment as a world sport

The first international governing body for orienteering was the International Orienteering Federation, which was formed by Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and West Germany in 1961. [13]

Eleven countries sent representatives to an international conference in Sandviken, Sweden, in 1949 that aimed to bring more consistent rules and mapping standards to the sport. The Norwegians and Swedes began producing new multi-color maps with cartography designed specifically for orienteering, in the 1950s.[ citation needed ] The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) was established in 1961 and the first world championships were held in 1966.[ citation needed ] By 1969, the IOF would represent 16 countries, including the first two non-European member societies representing Japan and Canada. [14]

Eighty different national orienteering federations are member societies of the IOF today. [15] World championships were held biannually from 1961 to 2003, and are now held every year.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orienteering</span> Group of sports that requires navigational skills

Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points. Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. For the purposes of this article, foot orienteering serves as a point of departure for discussion of all other variations, but almost any sport that involves racing against a clock and requires navigation with a map is a type of orienteering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Orienteering Federation</span> International sports governing body organizing orienteering

The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) is the international governing body of the sport of orienteering. The IOF head office is located in Karlstad, Sweden. The IOF governs four orienteering disciplines: foot orienteering, mountain bike orienteering, ski orienteering, and trail orienteering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Orienteering Championships</span> Recurring international orienteering competitions

The World Orienteering Championships is an annual orienteering event organized by the International Orienteering Federation. The first World Championships was held in Fiskars, Finland in 1966. They were held biennially up to 2003. Since 2003, competitions have been held annually. Participating nations have to be members of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silva compass</span>

Silva Sweden AB is an outdoors products company that sells handheld compasses and other navigational equipment including GPS tools, mapping software, aircraft altimeters, and marine navigation tools. Silva's founders - Gunnar Tillander, Alvar Kjellström, Arvid Kjellström, and Björn Kjellström - invented the hugely popular orienteering baseplate or protractor compass used around the world for outdoors navigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orienteering USA</span>

Orienteering USA (OUSA), formerly United States Orienteering Federation (USOF), is the national governing body for orienteering in the United States. It is recognized by the International Orienteering Federation and the United States Olympic Committee. It was founded on 1 August 1971. Orienteering USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. There are 68 current member clubs and over 1,500 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Orienteering Federation</span>

The British Orienteering Federation Limited, generally known and branded as British Orienteering, is the national sports governing body for the sport of orienteering in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ski orienteering</span> Winter sport combining cross-country skiing with orienteering

Ski orienteering (SkiO) is a cross-country skiing endurance winter racing sport and one of the four orienteering disciplines recognized by the IOF. A successful ski orienteer combines high physical endurance, strength and excellent technical skiing skills with the ability to navigate and make the best route choices while skiing at a high speed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Orienteering Federation</span> Orienteering organization

The Italian Orienteering Federation is the national orienteering federation of Italy. It is a full member of the International Orienteering Federation.

Björn Kjellström, originally from Sweden, was a ski orienteering champion in Sweden and co-founder of the compass manufacturing company Silva Sweden AB which produced the Silva compass. More than 25 million Silva compasses have been sold since the founding of the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Control point (orienteering)</span> Waypoint in adventure sports

A control point is a marked waypoint used in orienteering and related sports such as rogaining and adventure racing. It is located in the competition area; marked both on an orienteering map and in the terrain, and described on a control description sheet. The control point must be identifiable on the map and on the ground. A control point has three components: a high visibility item, known as a flag or kite; an identifier, known as a control code; and a recording mechanism for contestants to record proof that they visited the control point. The control point is usually temporary, except on a permanent orienteering course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish Orienteering Federation</span>

The Swedish Orienteering Federation is the national orienteering association in Sweden. It is recognized as the national federation for Sweden by the International Orienteering Federation, of which it is a member.

The Norwegian Orienteering Federation is the national Orienteering Association in Norway. It is recognized as the orienteering association for Norway by the International Orienteering Federation, of which it is a member. The association was founded 1 October 1945, and is a member of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports (NIF). Its first chairman was Kaare Thuesen. In 1946 NOF had 204 associated clubs, with just above 7,000 members. The number of clubs and associated members increased gradually through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and peaked in 1984 with 630 clubs and 34,000 members, and 35,000 members and 620 clubs in 1985. The next twenty years saw a decline in the number of clubs and members. As per December 2007 Norges Orienteringsforbund had 400 associated clubs and just above 24,000 members, distributed over eighteen districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foot orienteering</span> Timed race in which participants start at staggered intervals

Foot orienteering is the oldest formal orienteering sport, and the one with the most "starts" per year. Usually, a FootO is a timed race in which participants start at staggered intervals, are individually timed, and are expected to perform all navigation on their own. The control points are shown on the orienteering map and must be visited in the specified order. Standings are determined first by successful completion of the course, then by shortest time on course.

Jan Alvar Kjellström was a Swedish orienteer who played an important role in the development of the sport of orienteering in Great Britain.

The Jan Kjellström International Orienteering Festival or "JK" is the premier domestic orienteering competition in the United Kingdom along with the British Orienteering Championships, usually held over the Easter Weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrine Benjaminsen</span> Norwegian orienteer

Andrine Benjaminsen is a Norwegian orienteer and ski orienteer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristian Jones</span>

Kristian Jones or Kris Jones is a competitor in orienteering and athletics, competing for Great Britain. He also competes for Lillomarka OK in Norway, Forth Valley orienteers and Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Orienteering Championships</span> Orinteering event

The North American Orienteering Championships (NAOC) is a biennial orienteering event organized by the International Orienteering Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Street</span> British orienteering competitor

Ralph Street is a British orienteering competitor. He was part of the British team that came second in the sprint relay at the 2022 World Orienteering Championships. His team included Megan Carter Davies, Kris Jones and Charlotte Ward.

References

  1. "Historiska milstolpar" (in Swedish). Svenska Orienteringsförbundet. Archived from the original on 2009-10-02. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
  2. 1 2 Palmer, Peter (1997). The Complete Orienteering Manual. Vol. 1 (1 ed.). The Crowood Press Ltd. pp.  18–19. ISBN   1-86126-095-4.
  3. Boga, Steven (1997). "1". Orienteering: The Sport of Navigating with Map & Compass. Vol. 1 (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA: Stackpole Books. pp.  1. ISBN   0-8117-2870-6.
  4. Palmer, Peter (1997). The Complete Orienteering Manual. Vol. 1 (1 ed.). The Crowood Press Ltd. pp.  19. ISBN   1-86126-095-4.
  5. Litsky, Frank, Bjorn Kjellstrom, 84, Orienteer and Inventor of Modern Compass, Obituaries, The New York Times, 1 September 1995
  6. Seidman, p. 68
  7. Kjellström, Björn, 19th Hole: The Readers Take Over: Orienteering, Sports Illustrated, 3 March 1969
  8. Silva Sweden AB, Silva Sweden AB and Silva Production AB Become One Company: History, Press Release 28 April 2000
  9. Palmer, Peter (1997). The Complete Orienteering Manual. Wiltshire, England: The Crowood Press Ltd., ISBN   1-86126-095-4, p. 20.
  10. Boga, Steven (1997). "1". Orienteering: The Sport of Navigating with Map & Compass. Vol. 1 (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA: Stackpole Books. pp.  2. ISBN   0-8117-2870-6.
  11. 1 2 Boga, Steven (1997). Orienteering: The Sport of Navigating with Map & Compass. Vol. 1 (1 ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA: Stackpole Books. pp.  3–4. ISBN   0-8117-2870-6.
  12. Kirk, Colin (2006). "History of the Canadian Orienteering Federation". Canadian Orienteering Federation. Archived from the original on 2005-10-27. Retrieved 2006-02-22.
  13. "Orienteering". hickoksports.com. 2004-04-18. Archived from the original on 2008-05-22. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  14. Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club. "Orienteering History". Momentech Software Services. Archived from the original on 2006-01-08. Retrieved 2006-02-19.
  15. "National Federations". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-02-16.